Retrofit Meets: Ethics at The Building Centre

Retrofit is increasingly recognised as essential to the future of the built environment. By reusing, adapting, and upgrading existing buildings, we can dramatically reduce carbon emissions and extend the life of our towns and cities. While sustainability is often framed in terms of energy and carbon, ethical topics beyond these can be overlooked.  

Ahead of the panel discussion next month, we asked - what does it mean to retrofit ethically?

This difficult question asks us not only to consider the carbon footprint of our projects, but also the provenance of materials, the labour conditions behind them, and the social value of the outcomes. As Laura explains, “Nobody can do everything perfectly, but what we need is lots of people doing things better. Ethical retrofit isn’t about having the ‘right answer’. It’s about navigating complexity, being transparent, and putting people and place at the centre of decision making.” 

One project highlighted in the Retrofit 25 exhibition is 12 Claremont in Hastings, part of the Hastings Commons initiative. Here, disused heritage buildings have been taken into community ownership and transformed into workspaces, housing, and cultural venues. 

‘It’s the opposite of gentrification. Instead of outside developers profiting, the land and buildings are returned to the community, to do what they feel is needed.’ – Laura Baron, Head of Sustainability

This approach moves retrofit beyond technical upgrades and into the realm of social justice, ensuring projects support communities rather than displace them. 

The upcoming Retrofit Meets: Ethics panel will explore the above themes and ask difficult questions around how the profession can navigate the trade-offs between environmental goals, affordability, and ethical responsibility? 

Far from offering neat answers, the panel aims to open a transparent conversation about the dilemmas we face and the responsibilities we share.